Mumbai: 43-year-old CISF officer shoots self; no suicide note found

New to Mumbai, the CISF officer was posted outside activist Teesta Setalvad's home

Mumbai: 43-year-old CISF officer shoots self; no suicide note found

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A 43-year-old constable from Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) shot himself dead on Saturday morning. The constable Bhanvarlal Nayak was deployed outside the bungalow of social activist Teesta Setalvad at Santa Cruz west.

The zonal deputy commissioner of police Paramjit Singh Dahiya said a case of accidental death has been registered at Santa Cruz police station. "It was an AK series service rifle with which Nayak shot himself between 10.30 am and 11 am. He was recently transferred from Delhi to Mumbai, and had reached here on Friday evening. We have not received any suicide note from the spot," said an officer attached to Santa Cruz police station.

His colleagues told the police that Nayak had breakfast and came to work. There are nearly a dozen CISF personnel deployed at the bungalow of Teesta Setalvad at this time.

Nayak allegedly rested his neck on the gunpoint and pulled down the trigger. When the police counted the bullets in his service rifle, one bullet was missing. His body has been sent to KEM hospital where a post mortem will be conducted.

"There was only one entry and one exit wound on his head," said Dr Harish Pathak, forensic head at KEM hospital. The service rifle has been sent to forensic science laboratory, Kalina, for its ballistic analysis.

Sources at CISF told mid-day that Nayak recently resumed work after holidaying for a month at his hometown in Chiru, Rajasthan. "We are yet to find out the reason behind Nayak taking this extreme step. He was married with kids and his family lives in Chiru. We will conduct a departmental inquiry into the matter. His family has been informed and we will hand over his body to the bereaved family wherever they want," said a senior official from CISF.

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